Good practice in terms of training and lifelong learning in corporate age management in European Uni

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Good practice in terms of training and lifelong
learning in corporate age management in European
Union Member States

• Cedefop Agora Promoting lifelong learning for
  older workers
• Thessaloniki, 12 - 13 October 2006

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Naegele, Institute of
Gerontology at the University of Dortmund
(Germany)
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Background to the guide

• Project Employment Initiatives for an Ageing
  Workforce
• Founded by the European Foundation for the
  Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
  (www.eurofound.eu.int)
• Joint project coordination by Prof. Dr. Gerhard
  Naegele (Institute of Gerontology at the
  University of Dortmund) and Dr. Philip Taylor
  (University of Cambridge)
• Review of 130 longstanding case studies in 11 of
  the EU-15 countries plus further information from
  new research across the EU including the new
  Member States (NMS)

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What is good practice?

• Good practice in age management is defined as
  those measures
• that combat age barriers and/or promote age
  diversity.
• These measures may entail specific initiatives
  aimed at particular dimensions of age management.
• They may also include more general employment or
  human resources policies that help to create an
  environment in which individual employees are
  able to achieve their potential without being
  disadvantaged by their age.

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Dimensions of age management practice

• Job recruitment
• Learning, training and lifelong learning
• Career development
• Flexible working time practices
• Health protection and promotion, and workplace
  design
• Redeployment
• Employment exit and the transition to retirement
• Comprehensive approaches

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Good practice in training and lifelong learning
means

• ensuring that older workers are not neglected in
  training and career development,
• that opportunities for learning are offered
  throughout working life,
• training methods are appropriate to older
  workers,
• and that positive action is taken where necessary
  to compensate for discrimination in the past.

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Examples of good practice in training and
lifelong learning

• No age limits,
• Special motivation efforts, methodology and
  provision of support,
• Systematic evaluation,
• Specific company leave provisions,
• Analysis of the skills needs of the company,
• Continuous observance of the individual
  educational status,
• Training opportunities as an integral part of
  career planning,
• Learning and development of the conducive
  arrangement of work organisation,
• Using older employees and their special
  qualifications.

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The benefits of good practice for companies

• Raising the qualification level and innovation
  potential of the work force,
• Enhancing the motivation of younger staff,
• Improving the quality of a companys products and
  services,
• Guaranteeing of qualification maintenance,
  development und transfer,
• Increasing the employability of older staff
  members,
• Raising the willingness to learn in later
  life-phases,
• Deployment as mentors and teaching staff
  possible,
• Training and lifelong learning as important
  organisational and executive function with high
  functional value.

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Preconditions for effective implementation

• Sensibilisation of the persons in charge,
• Training to be based on an exact knowledge of
  current as well as future company skill
  requirements and on the educational status and
  potential of all employees,
• Competence databases,
• Often, specific external support is needed,
• Company specific needs as background for
  selection of methods and strategies,
• Job rotation in conjunction with on-the-job
  training is of high value,
• Working time releases should be facilitated.

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General Requirements for success and
sustainability in age management

• Age awareness,
• Careful planning and implementation,
• Improvement of working conditions,
• Cooperation of all parties concerned,
• Continuous communication,
• Internal and external monitoring,
• Final Evaluation and assessment.

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Essential ingredients of an integrated age
management strategy

• Emphasising the prevention of age-related work
  problems (such as the deskilling of older workers
  and work-related health problems) rather than
  reactive problem solving
• Focusing on the entire working lifespan and all
  age groups, not just older workers
• Ensuring a joined-up approach that brings
  together all dimensions and actors who contribute
  to effective age management
• Changing attitudes within organisations and in
  society as a whole to educate people about the
  need for age diversity
• Ensuring, in the short term, catch-up provision
  for older workers who missed out on specific
  skills training or whose health was affected
  adversely by employment
• Conducting regular strategic evaluations of age
  management policies and initiatives to assess
  their effectiveness.

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Case studies are available on the webpages of the
European Foundationwww.eurofound.eu.intThank
you for your attention!